Meeting Between the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany

27/11/2018

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Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, Josep Borrell, held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Heiko Maas. The two countries enjoy excellent bilateral relations and the ministers had the opportunity to analyse some of the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda.

Both ministers reviewed the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the Political Statement on future relations executed with the United Kingdom and its implications for the interests of both countries and in particular with regard to the future of Gibraltar. Further to this, Heiko Maas noted that “Questioning the legally binding status of these texts has nothing to do with the legal reality of the European Union. It is a binding agreement reached and subscribed between the parties”.

The German Minister pointed out that it is necessary to include Spain among the driving forces of the EU and, specifically, to pool its efforts to work closely with Germany and France to provide the fresh impetus the EU needs, which was accepted by Minister Borrell.

The German Minister also stated that “Germany wishes for a strong and united Spain”, a position that “the German Cabinet has defended in the past, defends in the present and will defend in the future in a clear and manifest way”. Both Ministers, agreeing that bilateral relations are excellent on all levels, decided to structure the bilateral dialogue in order to guarantee a framework that allows them to reach their full potential.

The Ministers also addressed other matters on the European and international agenda, such as the development of the European social agenda, the Multiannual Financial Framework, transatlantic relations and the situation in Ibero-America.

Finally, Josep Borrell and Heiko Maas congratulated each other on the good progress of economic relations between Spain and Germany, which are extraordinarily important. Germany is Spain’s second largest customer, behind France, and its main supplier.

After the meeting, the Ministers participated in a debate titled “The EU as an economic and global actor that protects its citizens,” held in the Paraninfo Hall at Complutense University of Madrid and attended by students and the wider public, who had the opportunity to put questions to the Ministers.